Trapped Without Bonds
by StrawberryGrass
Summary: The world is caving in around Danny. No one knows this more than his arch-enemy, Vlad Masters. But the billionaire never imagined what could have come next. Danny in a hospital, over a hundred hostages, bomb strapped to his chest, having already lost everything and he holds the detonator. What is Danny going to do when the last person he wants to see, shows up? Father/Son, post TUE
1. Chapter One

**Hi everyone. This will hopefully just be a two-shot. A dramatic one, at that too. If I can possibly pull it off. Ha, anyway, thanks for tuning in and I really do hope you enjoy. **

**No PP, guys. And this will also be Danny/Vlad Father/Son fanfic. But you'll see what is going on as you read. Lots of love. Enjoy~**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom.**

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><p>The soft humming was disturbing. It was constant, and while trying to think, it wasn't bearable. The man suddenly shouted at his cab driver, who was currently singing an annoying tune in his head. At being reprimanded, the driver shot a glare in the rear-view mirror, but alas, stopped his humming.<p>

Pinching the top of his nose in agitation and quite frankly, relief, Vlad Masters sighed.

But in remembering just what the situation was, he was engulfed back into his thoughts. And they consisted of just one certain young man: _Daniel Fenton._

And they were not good thoughts, either. On the contrary, they were the opposite. And that was why the billionaire was currently riding in a cab.

Considering it was roughly 3AM in the morning, he looked disheveled and exhausted. That was to be expected, of course, but it did not make the man feel any better.

Vlad sat there and wasted away time glowering at the younger hybrid in his mind, wondering just what he should do to the boy when he arrived. It was incredulous this had happened, and when the police called him and announced the situation, the older man couldn't help but almost chuckle. He didn't believe it to be true, at first; that Daniel would do this, that he would be that incredibly ridiculous. Or for lack of a better word:_ bitterly stupid._

He would determine the exact situation when he arrived, but in the meantime, he needed to decide a course of action.

Because it was his responsibility; he was the mayor.

He seriously began to wonder if he could just 'drop out' of being mayor.

This was the fourth time Daniel was doing something that involved the authorities.

The first two times had involved many things, the police being alerted, setting up a barricade, and of course, Vlad being called himself, were all because of a silly ghost attack that Daniel could not handle.

And it amused the billionaire quite a bit, actually; to see his younger foe so defeated by a lousey weak ghost. It was much smaller than the boy himself; by a few feet. And it also had horrible aiming skills.

To say it bluntly, it was hilarious.

But considering the man was the mayor of this ghost ridden town, it was his job to fix the boy's mistakes. And he did.

It was effortless. Just taking a ghost hunting weapon out of one of the Guys' in White hands, he shot at the little ghost, thus making it fall to the ground and eventually puff out of existence.

After it ended, Vlad had planned to check up on the boy to view what was perhaps_ wrong_ with the boy, by stalking him with health rating and charts, he came back with nothing; nothing at all.

The vitals of a healthy seventeen year old; although, with the exception of ghost powers.

It didn't make sense; something should have been amiss. And if it wasn't in his vitals, then it had to be with something else. And what other vital life source did the teen have?** His family**.

But Vlad's plans were postponed, because that same night he was going to do his 'research' another disaster happened.

And it scarred the man deeply, and his entire picture of the boy shattered.

A citizen perished._ By the boy's own two hands._

The image of the young half-ghost standing there.. bloody, crimson stained hands and body, a desolate expression etched onto his face, his once glowing blue eyes a solid grey color.

"**BANG**"

Vlad Masters jumped in his seat, startled by the sudden loud banging sound that had brought him out of his dark memories.

Looking out of his window, he realized it was the sheriff. And that he had arrived at the scene.

Quickly getting out of the cab, he addressed the sheriff was a deep and concerned voice, although, whether it was acting or real concern, you couldn't be sure.

"Has anything happened since our call?" Vlad asked, looking up into the sky, and the mass that was placed in it.

"We cannot tell. He is placed in a strategic area where we can't get a clear shot of him."

Vlad nodded, taking in the entire scene around him. Police cars, Guys' in White, and ten or fifteen frightened pedestrians. But by the roaring sound of a helicopter and sirens, it was obvious that the stressful moment wasn't going to end anytime soon.

Looking back to the sheriff again, he asked, "Has anyone gone in yet to try and pacify the ghost yet?"

The commanding officer shook his head gravely. "No, not as of yet. We are afraid if we do, he will activate the detonator. And we can't have the happen, not with the hostages."

At hearing those words, Vlad seemed to have missed a breath. But as quickly as the fear flew over his heart, it disappeared.

As if he was in a business meeting, the man announced, "Yes, well, the distressed ghost can be negotiated with. The words must be perfect, though. We can't allow any error in this case."

Agreeing with the man, the sheriff turned back towards the looming object in the sky, the Amity Park Memorial Hospital.

"And he really did pick the perfect place to attack, didn't he?"

The words didn't reach the mayor's ears. It was silenced out by the loud pumping of his heart.

_Just what did the boy think he was doing? Blast the damn child._

He couldn't continue mopping up the boy's messes. He was able to shadow as much as he could with the.. murd- death, and the ghost battles, but this.. he wasn't positive he could repair this.

Daniel was doomed unless he did something. But he had to do it correctly, because if he did not then his entire facade as being an average, billionaire mayor was over. And they would connect the dots, eventually. The dots that led to his ghost half.

And not only would they get him,_ they would get Daniel._

And he just wasn't going to let that happen.

He vowed to watch over Daniel after that fatal night when he took the man's life.

It was his sole job as the boy's godfather to protect him.

Looking back at the monstrous tower, he came to a conclusion.

"**I will go**," he declared, causing the distracted sheriff to turn back to him in surprise. But after a couple of seconds, it suddenly melded into a stern frown.

"I cannot allow that, Mayor Masters. That would be a disastrous attempt at reconciliation with the ghost and it would be unforgivable if you came back harmed because of it."

"It was not a request, John," Vlad said, his voice deadly toneless and silent, "It was an order."

It was almost as if the air itself grew apprehensive from the tension growing between the two men as they stared down one another, Vlad's daring eyes almost challenging the man to tell him no.

The sheriff, on the other hand, knew the look in his mayor's eyes. He had known him for the past three and a half years. It was the look Masters' always had when he knew he could not be repudiated.

And much to the officer's dismay, he forced himself to nod in defeat.

Vlad's tense stare and attitude seemed to repel back at bit, but it was still there, just well hidden behind the man's eyes. "Thank you for your corporation, Commander, I appreciate it."

He couldn't force himself to smile, so he instead softened his tone, "I promise you will not be held accountable for anything that occurs once I enter the building."

Silence once again seemed to be unbearable again, only this time, it was a mournful silence as the officer had his head down. But after a couple of seconds of delayed action, the sheriff looked up at Vlad, his emotion suddenly vanishing from his features.

"Let's get you strapped in, then."

And over the next five minutes, the world seemed to blur together, something that Vlad had suffering from for the past year, as he was dressed with a anti-ghost resistant proof vest and supplied with as many communication related objects his body could handle, until the last defense mechanism was handed to him personally by the sheriff; **a gun**.

"Just in case," the man said, before nodding to Vlad and walking away, getting read to send the man into the medical ward.

Vlad watched his form retreat, before finally looking down at the weapon in his hand. Specifically, it was a ghost assault weapon, meaning, it was to be used on Daniel if necessary.

And at just the thought of having to..

Vlad shuddered at the very thought of it. He could** never** possibly harm the boy again. Not after everything.. that had happened to him. He simply did not deserve it.

Vlad Masters gaze fell away from the gun, and went to the massive building.

Ever since Danny had become an orphan, it was his responsibility to watch over him and guide him the correct ways. It was an arduous task; the boy hated the man more than he could ever express. And after the death of his parents, it seemed to grow tenfold.

He hadn't had a real conversation with the boy in over a year..

And now, he finally decided to approach the teen when he was in a building, with hundreds of ill, innocent citizens in it.

With a bomb strapped to his torso, ready to blow at any second.

"Are you ready to go, Mayor Masters?"

His entire core screamed at him to leave before he became too involved, that this was a terrible choice and that the half-ghost in there, the suicidal teenager, was not his responsibility. It was not his job to save his young arch-enemy. Even if he was mayor.

But it was not his core that screamed the loudest;** but his heart**.

And it said all that he needed to hear before he was certain of what he was about to do: he would do the same.

"Yes, I am ready."

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><p><strong>Kind of dark, huh. But not as dark as it will get. Thanks for reading, and the next chapter will be out as soon as I can get it out. Please tell me what you thought of it. It just fills my heart with gratitude. Constructive criticism is gladly welcomed as well. <strong>

**Please review to your hearts content. Love you guys~ **


	2. Chapter Two

**Hey everyone! I apologize this was released so late. I meant to get this out much earlier, but with school and work it was pretty difficult. But here it is now. Also, I would like to mention that this is actually going to be a three-shot. I had too much to put into one chapter, so I decided to split them instead.**

**And I would like to add that this is an alternate universe in which TUE occurred differently as in Danny did not go to Vlad for help. Vlad's and Danny's personality changes remain the same though. **

**Thank you for checking this story out, and please enjoy~**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom, rights go to Butch Hartman. **

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><p>Vlad's two hundred cash dress shoes tapped loudly on the glossy marble flooring, echoing dangerously in the dark and deserted hallways, all but reminding the billionaire of the years he spent alone in that<em> blasted<em> hospital after the portal accident.

And to be back at one was just adding salt to the wound.

Surveying his surroundings, the man took in the utter emptiness. And even with his enhanced hearing, there was not a sound. Not even the steady beating of a heart monitor.

He continued on his way; going down the hallway.

The lights were on, but they seemed to just glow dully, as if they were burning out. It was bewildering, considering he had been here previous times on mayoral visits for the young patients. But now the doctors, nurses, and patients seemed to have just vanished. Even if it was at a late hour, the night nurses would be on the clock.

Carefully scanning the rooms as he passed them, he noticed how every single door was closed. This peaked the man's curiosity, and he quickly turned intangible and phased into one of the rooms.

What was inside shocked him.

The patient in the room was sleeping soundly, from what he could tell. Only, the heart monitor was off. And when he noticed this, he also noticed something else. None of the other machines were on. Not the breathing regulator, or any of the computers. And the man also realized with this, that the IV had been removed out of the patient's arm. Although, there did not seem to be an exit wound...

After finding a pulse, much to Vlad's relief, he phased out of the room and began walking towards the elevator.

He didn't understand; what was happening?

All of the systems were offline, everything besides the lights, but somehow the patients were being kept stable?

His brows furrowed in deep thought. What the hell was going on?

Having enough of the game Danny was playing, he smashed the elevator button violently and glared at it as it_ slowly_ came downwards to him.

"He is seriously one demented child. If he believes I'm just going to sit around and let him do this to himself.." He spoke silently in threat, his foot tapping impatiently on the floor.

The man knew many things could have led to this turnout, though. Daniel turning on the entire world in the same way it turned on him. After all he had done to protect it, in the end no one cared when his entire universe came burning down around him. They simply expected their same hero to come back and protect them like he had always done.

The man hissed darkly under his breath at the unfairness of it all.

These citizens didn't deserve what they had received from Daniel; they didn't deserve any of it. He sacrificed everything he could for them and now that he had suddenly become a threat, all of the past heroics were completely forgotten in their minds. The man expected that much from the run down town, as he knew what the majority of it was like as being the mayor. And quite frankly, the older half ghost didn't care very much of what the town folks thought of him, but he knew it was the exact opposite for Danny; the boy cared so much for others, and yet those 'others' don't care the same. It was pitiful watching the boy try so desperately. And eventually, Danny couldn't go any further.

And Vlad concluded that was how they had gotten to this point. With Danny as the villain.

Did that mean Daniel was doing all of this just for revenge? Certainly the billionaire wouldn't blame him if that were so. Actually, the man believed that if that was what Danny decided to do, than he was justified to do so. After all that happened, after all he gave for the town, there was no more the boy could sacrifice.

And from what Vlad had heard, the bullying he received at his school ended as well. But the way it was told to him, by Danny's English teacher, it seemed as if it didn't just end because the other teenagers who went to his school felt apologetic. On the contrary, it was because Daniel had done something to them.

It wasn't like the billionaire believed those rumors though. They could have been falsely started by his other pupils, but it was beginning to become grueling to keep up the bleak faith he had in the boy's beliefs. Especially now that he is threatening an entire hospital.

If the boy wouldn't ever wish to cause harm to a human, then why did that accident occur and why did that man perish?

The elevator opening 'ding' broke him out of his revere and he swiftly walked in.

Knowing he could just turn into his alter ego and teleport up to the room, something was holding him back. It was almost clawing at him, pulling him away from the room. But knowing that he was the only one who could possibly stop the boy, he clicked floor thirty.

He needed to think first of just what he was going to do. He knew he could simply talk sense to the boy, but considering Danny didn't trust him at all, Vlad didn't see that relieving the situation very well.

Vlad had a hand grasping his chin while he thought, mulling over the many solutions. He just had to play this out correctly. He couldn't afford to anger the young half ghost any more than he already was. But maybe that was just the way he could solve this issue.

The elevator opened to a dark hallway, much darker than the floor beneath him and he soon figured out why: all the lights had been blown out and the glass remains laid scattered all over the floor.

Scowling, he continued, shaking his head in an annoyed manner. "He can't seriously do things in a subtle manner, can he?"

The facade of the average billionaire mayor faded as he let his body become split down the middle by a black ring, and thus morphing him into Vlad Plasmius, allowing him to see further down the dark hallway.

If Vlad considered the other floors below deserted, this was on a whole different scale. There was absolutely nothing here and if it wasn't for his ghost half, he wouldn't be able to see anything at all.

He let out a curse as he nearly stepped on one of the glass shards that had fallen on the floor. He swore that getting to the boy was much harder than actually dealing with the boy. Bringing Vlad back to the question of why he hadn't just teleported to the room in the first place.

Vlad knew exactly where Danny was; just further down this hall to the right. And he could already see the right corridor. But something seemed to be pulling him away, something did not want him in there. Most likely, it was just Danny's ghost energy slightly elevated from the intense situation and stress his body was currently under, but he wasn't certain. It didn't feel right; it felt like _dark_ energy.

An exhausted sigh escaped his lips; he was tired of this.

Whether or not he chose to, he was the boy's godfather. He had enough time thinking about what to say; it was time to go and get Daniel.

He morphed and grabbed his cape, about to swing it around him when he momentarily paused, and it almost seemed as if he flinched. His whole body was screaming at him.

"**No**"

"**Don't do it**"

"**You're going to regret this**"

Fear gripped at him as the feeling and warnings continued to get louder as the 'dark' energy he felt coming from the room engulfed his mind.

Something was _very_ wrong.

Shutting out the gut wrenching feeling in his stomach, Vlad swung his cap around himself and vanished.

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><p>It was eerily silent when Vlad finally appeared in a whoosh of wind and red ectoplasmic energy. The first thing he realized when he entered was that the fear was gone; it had simply vanished from the room. His brows creased in confusion, but his attention was soon directed towards something else: the light source.<p>

Looking up, he realized it was the moon peeking through the glass window. The window was actually a colorful cathedral mural and the moon was placed just perfectly in the sky to cascade a large amount of red and green blends into the dark room. And with the light source, he was able to tell that the room he was in was not just an ordinary room; it the hospital chapel. Although usually held in a different part of the building, this hospital was designed specifically for terminal patients who were not allowed to leave a specific section of the ward. Except, at the lacking pews and wall paper, the man was reminded that it was currently under construction. As mayor, he knew everything happening in his town.

Walking silently around, he could not sense the boy. He couldn't from the beginning, either. And with the 'dark' energy now gone, he had no idea if Danny was even in here anymore.

"You really have become dedicated to your job, huh."

When Vlad heard those words, or more specifically, that _voice_, his heart nearly skipped a beat. Turning sharply towards where he heard it, he was met with a bittersweet smile of a certain young half ghost.

"But _which_ job is the real question, though. Being mayor… or my _godfather_?" He spit out the last word in deep disdain, his eyes narrowing sharply at the man.

Vlad stood in shock, as he took in everything; the boy was sitting against a wall between two large glass windows that went all the way up to the ceiling, but instead of the mural above them, these did not display the light from the outside. The heavy maroon curtains prevented so.

He also noticed that the boy's posture was horrible and it seemed like he was just leaning against the wall for support. He was in his human form and his once defiant blue eyes were dull and almost drooping.

The more he studied, much to Danny's annoyance, the more his gut filled with dread. As much as the boy desperately tried to hide it, he was breathing erratically and extremely pale. And if those signs weren't enough of an indicator something _more_ was wrong, then why was he in his human form? Didn't he understand people were trying to kill him?

The detonator wasn't in Danny's hands either and he wasn't strapped to a bomb, nothing of the sort. He was just sitting there as if he had been was a regular patient. Were the police officers mistaken then, that Danny was acting in terrorism? Vlad wasn't going to let down his guard without being certain.

His eyes suddenly set on Danny, and it seemed that that question conjured more determination in the man to not allow this to continue any longer. No matter what, the boy had come here in absolution. He believed he was going to die here today, but if Danny thought that the man was just going to sit back and watch, he was gravely mistaken.

"I see you finally gave up on that foolish lifestyle, Daniel; it was childish, after all." Vlad shrugged, placing his hands behind his back.

The snide tone must have caught Danny of guard, because he instantly looked at Vlad in disbelief. But as quick as it came, it vanished into a calm smirk.

"Ha, yeah. Guess you're right. But then again, who do you possibly believe I learned it from?" Danny's voice was heavily sarcastic as he smiled sweetly at Vlad who just stared back at the boy with a placate expression.

"Suppose you're correct in that, my boy." Vlad said, moving closer to Danny's position between the windows. When Vlad neared him, Danny tensed up and almost instinctively got in a defensive position. Not giving it notice, the man continued on with what he was saying. Leaning down a couple feet from the boy's ear, he whispered, "But then, you forget that I've never actually killed a man."

After a couple of seconds of complete silence, Vlad moved away from the boy, and continued in the same calm tone, "If you didn't learn that from me, then who else could you have possibly learned it from, hm? Dear Maddie was too darling for that sort of thing, while Jasmine was a little too predictable for such violence. Oh yes, don't allow me to forget your friends," Vlad paused for a moment, as if pondering, "What were their names again, Samantha Mason and Tucker Foley? I am always a bit forgetful of unimportant people, after all."

Clicking the tongue on the top of his mouth in indifference, Vlad Plasmius continued, "I am certain those two wouldn't have shown any interest in the murdering of helpless citizens, I would have known if that was so." But suddenly turning back to Danny, Vlad's smirk returned and he stepped up once again next to the boy, "I know you haven't attended school for quite some time now, but you do know what happens when I subtract all the other candidates, correct? It leaves me with just _one_ left." Slowly, his red pupil-less eyes filled with fierce abhorrence, "Perhaps, Jack Fenton?"

In a roar of anguish, Danny morphed into Phantom and fired at Vlad from his place in front him and smashed the man into the wall behind them all in an instant.

Vlad let out a moan from his place on the floor, holding his chest in agony as a large burning gash was now covering over half of it. In the blunt stinging pain, Vlad hadn't expected that hit to cause that much damage on him. He knew Danny was most likely stronger by now, but he realized too late just how_ much_ stronger.

Attempting to slow his spinning vision, Vlad didn't realize his foe was quickly advancing towards him.

Suddenly being pulled off the floor and smashed against the wall, Vlad's breath was forced out of him. Letting out a cry of pain, Vlad attempted to push the boy off of him but to no avail. "You have_ no_ right to insult my family! They did absolutely nothing to cause this!" Danny yelled, his eyes flaring with green ectoplasmic energy, "If anyone is to blame for this, it would be us!"

Feeling the younger foe's fingers suddenly dig into his wounded chest, Vlad hissed in pain and forcibly blasted the child away from him. Danny slammed onto the ground, being pushed back several feet. Realizing that did not stop the boy, the man quickly produced an ecto-shield around himself and held his own against the strong blasts the boy began firing at it.

Much to his lowered self-pride, Vlad knew that he had to cause this reaction out of Daniel. If he didn't, he would never get out the reason of _why_ he was doing all of this. Vlad was done speculating what the cause was, he wanted to know and now.

No matter how long Vlad stayed in the shield, the ectoblasts did not waver in strength or numbers. If anything, they got stronger as Danny's frustration got greater. He could hear the boy shouting something, but it was muffled over the sound of his blasts and if Vlad tried to catch a glimpse of the boy, it was only blurred out by the green ecto-energy surrounding him. Vlad knew he couldn't last forever though.

Putting a palm to his burning chest, he realized then just how badly the boy had hit him. The man was dripping ectoplasm onto the floor at his feet and as much as he thought about it, it shouldn't have been that bad. But with the distraction of the shield to keep the boy busy, it allowed Vlad to closer inspect his bleeding wound.

And with that, he discovered that when the boy sunk his fingers into Vlad's wound earlier, he had embedded it with poison. Where he had possibly gotten the deadly toxin, the man did not know, but what he did know, was that he was in for one hell of a harder fight than he expected. This wasn't the same boy he fought two years ago; the boy he thought he knew. No, this person was different. He was malicious and bloodthirsty.

From the very beginning when Vlad had heard his voice, his knew that the person before him was not Danny. Even if over the years Danny had changed, nothing could have changed him to this extent. Not the murder that he committed, nor his family's death could cause this drastic a difference.

Danny would have not made those combat choices, either. He would have relied on his own strength, not attempted to use poison. He was honest in the way he fought, even if the odds were stacked up again him.

And also, Vlad knew that if that was the real Danny, than the man would already be more than half dead right now for daring to insult the boy's deceased loved ones.

Feeling the attacks become more sporadic and weak, Vlad let his shield fade away. At the clearing sight, Vlad saw Danny panting heavily and drenched in sweat. But realizing that the older hybrid was now unguarded, Danny forced himself to get back into a fighting stance.

Vlad needed so know for certain that the boy he was fighting was a fake.

Letting his palms fill with flaming red ectoplasm, Vlad also took a battle stance, "You want a fight," and two words were all it took to make Danny crack, "little badger?" In a flash of light, Danny's green eyes flashed red. And that was all the evidence Vlad needed.

This was someone else; another person was responsible for Daniel's actions and like bloody hell Vlad was going to sit here and allow it.

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><p><strong>So there you have it, chapter two! If you're wondering who this 'mystery' person is, it will all be revealed in the next chapter. As will the explaining of just what is going on. Please, if you don't mind, review for dear me? I would love to hear your opinions of it all. I have the next chapter completely planned out, so it will come much faster. :)<strong>

**Thank you for reading, guys~ **


	3. Chapter Three

**Thanks for tuning in once again, everyone. This chapter is a bit more intense than the last, but it shouldn't be too bad. This is also the final chapter in this three-shot series, and I can tell you one thing, I really loved writing this, so please enjoy. (:**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom**

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><p>In the dim light that the moon offered through the glass window above the two hybrids, something seemed to wave through it, almost as if it rippled in the wind. Although, it went completely unnoticed by them both.<p>

They were much too occupied to take interest in their surroundings. Vlad was busy handling the continuous blasts from his younger foe, who seemed to simply be blinded by his pure hate for the man. Not only that, but the man was busy thinking of something else:** a plan**.

He needed an idea for this to stop.

Already knowing that the teen was not himself, he had to devise something that wouldn't particularly harm the boy, just to snap him out of state. Or force whatever was overshadowing him out.

Suddenly getting an idea, Vlad smirked confidently. Holding against Danny's attacks, he waited until the boy missed a beat in his assault. It did not come quickly, as the boy had much determination to destroy the man, but the perfect second came and in that moment, Vlad pushed his shield forward, towards the boy, and knocked him off balance.

Danny's ectoblasts went haywire as he was pushed backwards, falling against the glass window that was behind him. Vlad didn't waste any time and quickly grabbed the boy by the shirt and slammed him against the cold glass.

His eyes menacing, he glowered at Danny, "**Where is he**?" he hissed, glaring darkly into the teen's muddled eyes, considering he was still trying to recover from the attack by the older hybrid.

"I swear if you have done_ anything_ to him, I will-"

"Ha, what gave me away," Vlad was interrupted by a voice, a tone that sounded much older and mature than Danny's usual voice, "my_ eyes_?" Danny asked, his once blue eyes a hard, cold bloody red hue as he smirked scornfully at the older hybrid, who was not taken aback by Danny's voice.

"Hey, Vlad, do they remind you of someone? Maybe, perhaps, yourself?" Danny asked, putting a finger to his chin, feigning being in thought.

Vlad wasn't going to allow this ghost to play him, so he snuffed out his confusion and instead he said in a vile response, "Stop playing me, and tell me where you've taken him, I am done listening to your unconvincing deceits,** tell me where he is**!"

"No, no. I am him, Vladdie. Can't you tell, from my childish behavior, that I'm your 'little badger' that you know and love so dearly?" Danny laughed wickedly, smirking pleasantly at the glare he received in reply to his words. "Not sure anymore, huh. Well, that is expected; it_ has_ been a year."

Vlad slammed Danny against the glass so roughly that the glass shattered at the top of the window. Although it did not frighten the boy, on the contrary, it made him chuckle loudly. "Running out of patience, are you, V-man?" Danny asked, raising an unimpressed eyebrow at the behavior, the boy mimicking the nickname his father once used for the man , "I believe you're just masking your real emotions behind that mask of yours; you're actually terrified aren't you? You just love me too much, that it makes your stomach boil."

"You just can't stand the thought that I really changed for the worse." Danny bit out, his tone suddenly turning menacing, "This is me now, Vlad. This is what I turned into, and it's all because of you." He said, his red eyes glowing with burning rage at seeing that pure anger radiating off the man, all but giving Danny more fuel to continue.

"That's right, Plasmius. You've made the villain you've always wanted out of me: you must be proud. I really ended up as your student, just like you wanted." Danny felt Vlad's grip weaken, and he started sliding down the wall.

Smirking in satisfaction, the red eyed Danny continued, all but enjoying the silence from his adversary, "I can simply join you now. It's what you've always wanted, right? For me to be your son."

Danny grabbed Vlad's wrist, having being put down completely, and whispered tenderly to Vlad, "The son that was always meant to be yours."

Silence followed, the only sound coming from the whistling noise from the wind outside, as even the helicopter blades could not be heard. Vlad's face was kept hidden away from Danny, who's smirk only seemed to thicken as the seconds passed. It wasn't until a minute later, did Vlad finally speak.

"You asked if your eyes looked familiar," Vlad started, looking up into the red confused irises, he paused for a moment, peering deeply into them. Danny only stared in composed confusion, wondering what the man's plan was. It wasn't until too late, that he realize what exactly the man was doing.

Suddenly feeling something dig deeply into his throat, Danny's eyes widened in horror. He choked, grabbing at the hand that was intangible in his trachea. "No, they don't." Vlad finished, nearly spitting out venom in his hard voice.

He intensified his grip, his gaze becoming icy, "If you want to begin this game, go ahead. But I will not be the losing participant." Vlad said vehemently, his eyes sparking with his own red glow as he stared Danny dangerously in the eyes, his voice a dark whisper.

Danny, although he was surprised by the man's bold move, smiled and physically relaxed after a moment, even with the invading hand in his throat. "You're quite the astonishment, Vlad. Not everyday I have a hand in my throat, an intangible one at that, too."

"Too bad it just won't work though," Danny stated, smirking up at Vlad, who had an emotionless expression on his face. "Do you know why it won't work?" he asked, unable to keep his disturbing smile off his face, "because you can't hurt hurt me, Vlad. You're_ too_ scared."

The room lit up in red light as waves of lighting surged through Danny's body, causing the husky voice to yell out in pain. Vlad had a neutral countenance, letting his power gush out of his hand and into Danny's body through his throat.

The power from his assault lite everything surrounding the two half ghosts in red, dark ghost energy, giving the room a bloody glow. He did not let his energy flow end as more time passed, determined to destroy the ghost invading Danny.

The more he continued to let his attack last, the more the room around him began to change, and the man realized just what was going on here. And it horrified him.

His power stopped flowing to Danny, who seemed to be distorted, as his form kept flashing back and forth. Vlad's grip completely let him go, allowing the ghost to fall and slump onto the floor with a thud.

Vlad's attention was anywhere but there, however.

Perhaps he should have seen this, he should have predicted this occurrence happening, but he had not. Although Vlad had been correct about a ghost pretending to be Danny and that it was a fraud, what he did not predict was that Danny was here all along. He was always here in the chapel, the entire time they were fighting and Vlad had not known. He had all this time to take him away from here, but instead he played games with the 'fraud' Danny. He was here. Danny was here and he was dying.

Lying against the glass wall, the scene and atmosphere literally changed around Vlad as he approached Danny, the real Danny, and knelt down when he got close enough.

The boy was covered in glass, burns, and knife cuts and who knew what else. His eyes were drooping, but at the sight of Vlad, he looked up in surprise. Vlad also noted that he was in his human form, and that there was a dark puddle of liquid surrounding him. Vlad could only look away to keep himself from breaking his calm demeanor. But he did a bad job of it, and even though he was hardly conscious, Danny noticed a shudder of fear come from Vlad's mouth.

He smiled, "Hey Vlad, wh-when did you get here? You literally came out of nowhere." Danny managed to ask, the chilly wind making it even more difficult to speak, even with his icy ghost powers. They weren't currently helping him, considering he didn't have enough energy to transform.

Vlad managed to turn his head back towards the half conscious Danny, who was still staring at him with puzzlement, and hovered his hand above the boy's shoulder where a large slash cut along the skin, too afraid to touch him.

"What happened, Daniel?" He managed to choke out, continuing to scan the boy's sliced torso and arms. His clothes were torn all over, the small red sphere in the middle of his shirt now wasn't the only single red blotch on his clothes, as the blood littered him everywhere.

"I was attacked." He stated, giving Vlad a look of, 'what else do you think happened?', but at seeing the complete seriousness in Vlad's expression, Danny sobered up and said, "I was tricked, V-Vlad. He played me, and I.. I completely fell for it."

Danny, no longer able to look at Vlad because of the immense amount of shame, he turned his eyes towards his palm, and opened in closed it as he spoke, "We fought several years ago, but I never dea.. I never defeated him: I had failed in protecting my family, Vlad." Danny took a shaky breath, telling himself that he had to continue, even though his lungs were beginning to burn, "I met him again a year ago, and ever since then he has been partially overshadowing me. I tried to stop him so many times, but every-every single time it didn't work! I fought him that night when I killed that man, when that man died! There was nothing I could do against him!" He yelled out, his voice trembling, "I was too weak, I could do nothing.." His head hung low, refusing to look at the man. He did not deserve it. He had done so many_ evil _things the past year, that nothing could rectify his acts.

Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he heard the comforting words he had needed for so long, "It's alright; It was not your doings, Daniel." Vlad said, his tone soft and comforting, reminding Danny of what his parents used to say to him if he needed reassurance, "I will not abandon you, no matter what you do." It sounded so alike, Vlad's words and his parents.

The man was his godfather, after all.

"Thanks, Vlad. You don't know how much that means to me," he said, his tone suddenly breaking as he held back a sob, his entire body shaking from the cold. He felt so horribly weak, as if he had not slept in weeks. His muscles were arching, his head was spinning, but he forced himself to give his attention to Vlad. He needed to convince the man he was alright.

Lifting his head, he smiled appreciatively at the older hybrid, but suddenly turning into mischievous smirk he said, "Hey, ya.. y'know what I could use right now? A _warm_ shower." He said, shivering hard against the wind. Vlad's already pained face furrowed even more and shook his head, "Danny, no. There shouldn't be any wind…"

Vlad didn't finish, his words dying on his tongue. He looked at his surroundings in complete revelation as everything suddenly clicked together in his mind: the glass in the hallways, the quietness of the entire city, it was because of this room.

The glass mural above them was completely shattered, glass shards lining the floors everywhere. The curtains were all torn off from the walls, and the pews were in shambles. It was the complete opposite of the room he was just in.

Looking down at Danny, the boy knew exactly what the man was thinking. "That was my reaction, too. He is using a time rift as a shield for this place. I-I got caught up in it, and was removed from the r-real world." Danny said, trying his best to keep awake by shifting his body position, just anything at this point.

The boy continued the best he could manage, "Nothing was broken within that fake rift, but you, Vlad, somehow you managed to b-break it." He said victoriously, giving Vlad a toothy grin. But it was shortly interrupted, as he began coughing violently and doubling over in pain. Vlad quickly grabbed the younger hybrid, his face filled with terror at seeing the boy eyes drift closed. "Danny, I need you to stay with me; I'm going to get you out of here, alright? Please, just hang on." Vlad said hurriedly, picking the young hybrid off the ground and quickly preparing to fly off towards medical help.

Pain suddenly exploded on his shoulder, making him hiss in pain and almost drop Danny from his hold. He didn't have enough time to respond and turn around, unfortunately, as he felt two strong arms wrap around his neck and tear him away from the window, causing his hold on Danny to stop and causing the boy fall onto the floor in a spine chilling thud.

As he was pulled away, he felt the burning sensation of poison enter his neck when his enemy dug his sharp fingernails into his flesh. He hissed in pain, and attempted to push his attacker off of him, but the assaulter would not yield.

Vlad's eyes narrowed, "Damn you,** I do not have time for this**!" He yelled, his ghost energy bursting from inside of him, making his attacker fly back from the immense energy.

Spinning around, Vlad faced the ghost head on.

The ghost's smokey hair blew in the uncontrolled wind in the room, his red eyes burning with an intense hatred Vlad knew only too well, because in all reality, standing before him was.. Danny. The boy's insignia was blatant on his outfit, his facial build was the exact same, it was him. It _was_ Daniel.

Horror filled his features, as he could no longer contain any control over his emotions. He could handle so much, but not this. He backed away in disbelief, only to run into the younger form of Danny on the wood floor. Although it seemed as if he had slightly recovered, Vlad could visibly see that he was still panting heavily. Danny did not allow himself to accept his agony, as he glared at his future self with dark contempt.

Dan smiled, chuckling with his deep vocals, as he peered at the two hybrids. "I believe I will get the chance to kill two birds with one stone today. And it will be so effortless, too." He said, noting that the older hybrid seemed paralyzed in his spot, staring at him.

Danny noticed this as well, and even through his blurry vision and heavy breathing, he knew he had to snap Vlad out of whatever vague world he was in, or they were both going to end up dead.

Grabbing Vlad by his cape, he tugged tightly on it, cutting off the man's air supply and bringing him out of his stunned state of mind. Glaring down at Danny, the man quickly came back to the situation. Turning back just in time to get blasted in the face with Dan's green ectoplasm, he was sent hurtling onto the floor in a cloud of dust and glass shards and skidding to a halt.

He recovered quickly and fired his own assault, ending Dan's advancement towards Danny. But his attacks didn't offer enough power, and so they only were able to keep Dan down for a short time before he came back with reignited animosity. He knew why he was losing the ability to fight well: the poison that was injected twice into him, once in his gut and again in his neck.

He did not know how the older version of Danny had gotten here, or what exactly occurred before he arrived between the two Phantoms, but he did know one thing: that if that ghost wasn't destroyed, not only them were going to pass tonight.

His vision was beginning to spin, and he was losing breath. Feeling his core desperately wanting him to revert back to human, he ignored it the best he could. He had to keep going, he could not let Danny perish.

He was here to protect the boy: because he wasn't just the mayor, he was Danny's godfather.

Placing himself in front of the boy, he glared defiantly at the future image of Danny, all but asking him to bring it on. Dan smirked at the man's boldness, "You want to die first, Masters?" he approached, making his cape wave in the wind as he did so, "then you be my guest." He said as he let loose hot green electricity right into the man's stomach, which ripped away the skin and burned into the man's flesh. The man screamed in agony, losing his strength to stand and crumbling to the ground.

Dan only chuckled devilishly as he kicked the man behind him and turned his attention towards Danny, who seemed to be on the brink of unconsciousness.

Dan crouched down to Danny's injured form and whispered into his ear, "I told you:** You still become me**." And at the green burning eyes from his younger self, Dan laughed haughtily. Unable to help himself any longer, Dan began kicking Danny all over. His legs, arms, stomach, face, were being attacked by Dan's relentless assaults. And as Vlad heard Danny's cries of pain he knew there was nothing he could do. He was powerless, and it was only clarified as Vlad reverted back into his human form, even as much as his mind desperately shouted against it.

Danny's cries started to become weaker and weaker as time went by, and Vlad knew no matter what, even if it was useless, he needed to stop it. Even if the both ended up dead, he needed to be sure they would at least end the reign of terror this future ghost was creating.

He had no choice; he had nothing else to live for.

Forcing his body up, his knees almost buckling from underneath his feet, Vlad gathered enough energy for one more ectoblast. Although his insides literally were burning, he forced the pain away the best he could and continued building up the energy.

Even in his human form, he was able to accumulate a large enough ectoball, and as he saw Dan's attention directed towards Danny, he knew it was his chance.

He couldn't have been prepared for what happened next.

The second he sent his red, fiery ball of ectoplasm and blasted Dan away from Danny, all hell broke loose. As the ghost landed at Danny's feet, the boy laid there in delayed shock, staring at Vlad in disbelief through his half-lidded eyes. In that one second, he felt nothing but uncontrollable fear fill his mind, not at seeing the ghost suddenly regain his strength and turn towards him with the look of pure hatred and an intent to kill, but hearing Danny shout his name and teleport beside him.

On his hands and knees, Danny looked up at Vlad, and the words Danny didn't have time to say were all there in his blue eyes: "**I'm sorry**"

The scenes blurred as one. Danny pulled out Vlad's ghost assault pistol from its holster and directed it towards Dan. The shot was instant, and the force of the fire made Danny fly back. The shot echoed all across the room, the sound deafening. Dan looked down at himself in dignified shock and saw the direct bullet hole in his core. It seemed it took his body seconds to respond before he screamed out in pain and knew exactly who to blame this on.

Vlad couldn't have moved quick enough as Dan grabbed Danny by the arm and threw him out the window in a cry of anguish, to the chaos of the world below. Vlad felt his steps follow the boy's motion as he watched him fly out of the room, and felt his hand desperately attempt to reach him as he joined him in the descent to the ground.

He saw him as he fell, the boy's eyes closing as he succumbed to unconsciousness. Vlad reached to grab the boy before they met their fate, but he could not reach him, his arm was just falling short.

He called forth his ghostly powers and willed them to send him to Danny. He felt like he was trying to ignite a flame that had been extinguished. His core was done; it could not give him enough energy to transform and save them both from their death.

Vlad was powerful, deeply feared in the Ghost Zone and Human World, something like falling out of the sky would not be a problem for him. He could do this.

Willing out his ghost persona, he forced his body to transform, the black rings making him scream in agony, feeling his every fiber begin to tear away and reveal his ghost half. He could only stare at Danny the entire time, being unable to tear his eyes away from him. He_ had_ to catch him.

Whenever Danny's parents had passed on, he had received a letter from their lawyer. It said that he was to attend a claiming of the will, to claim what what was given to him. He went and attended the claiming, feeling out of place. The only other one who should have been there was Danny, as they didn't give anything else to any other family members besides their late daughter, Jazz Fenton, but he never arrived. The lawyer began the meeting, relaying what was left, and what was given to who. The Fentons gave him only one thing, but nothing could ever replace it. It was a single document, not more than a few pages. When he first had received it, he was shocked into silence. The document read that Vlad Masters was the sole godfather of Daniel and Jasmine Fenton, if something ever happened to the parents. It was a moment that he would never forget, getting the greatest responsibility that a man could receive, next to having his own children. It was literally written that_ every_ and _all _responsibilities be given to him, to sign for any medical or appointment papers before Danny's eighteenth birthday. He needed to watch over the boy and protect him at all costs, as it was the job stated.

And now that they were plummeting to their deaths, Vlad felt like that could not be any truer than at this moment in time. Jack and Maddie trusted him, the man who plotted to kill Jack, to protect Danny with his life. And as Vlad stared at the closing in surface, he knew that it was now to live up to the name:_ godfather_.

Vlad disappeared in the air, only to reappear ten feet from Danny where he caught the boy in his arms. The dead weight sent him spinning through the air, trying without luck to stop his rapid descent. Vlad knew the ground was right below them, that he was out of time. He decided with sick reality that he was going to die there. Holding Danny tighter, he knew that at least he would die protecting something he loved.

* * *

><p>Outside of the hospital, Sheriff John Denton relayed commands to his fellow officers, telling them to prepare for the situation whenever the mayor came out of the building, or worse- if he did not come out at all. They had prepared everything, and were ready for whenever it was either time to evacuate the site, or rush in and try to assist the patients and medical staff.<p>

As the minutes continued to pass, the belief that the mayor would come out alive seemed to disappear in the Sheriff's eyes. Whether or not he was held accountable by the city, he would always feel that if the Amity Park mayor died in this dreadful event, that it was his fault, that the man's death was on his hands.

At seeing the clock pass one hour time since the mayor had gone in, the Sheriff turned to his men and took a deep breath. "The time has passed, we will form a team and go in and retain this situation. If it comes to killing the culprit, so be it. Let's head out, men." He finished, a grave look on his features, all but masking his inner terror.

Once his men were set, they formed in front of the building and on the Sheriff's call, began filling into the hospital. They sent in two at first, and everyone watched with bated breath until they heard a shout come from the talkie.

Quickly grabbing it off one of the officers vehicles, the Sheriff pressed it to his ear and said, "Repeat what you said, Davison."

It took a moment, through the chaos and the static of the talkie, when he finally heard the man say, "We found him, John, we found the mayor!"

At the same time, he heard joyous yells and cries and he looked up at the entrance and saw not only his two men walking out, but the mayor of Amity Park, accompanied by a young man with more than a few exciting stories to tell.

* * *

><p><strong>And that is it, folks! I hope you all enjoyed. I was attempting to not allow Vlad to become to OOC, but for all those who look at him as being too soft and weak, this is a take from TUE and it is an alternate reality where it happened, just not the same as the canon. Meaning, Danny did not go to Vlad's. And also, without the drive of revenge to fuel Vlad's anger, what else does he really have left to detest? Yeah, so. :)<strong>

**To those who are wondering how they survived the fall, I tell you dear readers, that it is for you to decide in your minds. I know how they did, so it did happen, but just how? Well, how do you think?**

**Please, tell me your thoughts! I would love to hear how you enjoyed the story, and what you did not enjoy about it. I appreciate everything. :)**

**Please review, and thanks for reading! See ya!**


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